1. Field of the Invention.
This invention pertains to safety devices, and more particularly to apparatus for enabling a person to escape from a building.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Various equipment has been developed that provides a means of escape from a burning room or similar dangerous location. For example, it is known to use rope ladders and the like to descend from the upper stories of a building during emergency conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 335,372 shows a fire escape in the form of a rope ladder. Other rope-type escape devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 282,212; 283,439; 285,806; 289,286; 831,808; and 3,750,843.
The various escapes of the foregoing patents have certain disadvantages. The escapes of the U.S. Pat. Nos. 282,212 and 289,286 patents, for instance, are difficult to use by women and children, because the users must support themselves by their hands and arms from a rope trained over a pulley.
The ropes of the U.S. Pat. Nos. 283,439; 285,806; and 335,372 patents hang over the sills of the escape windows. That design makes it awkward and difficult for a person to use, because the person must crawl out the window feet first and balance on the window sill while trying to grasp the rope at their knees. Moreover, since the rope is in overlying contact with the sill, users have difficulty in quickly wrapping their hands around the rope in a firm grip.
The fire escape of the 831,808 patent includes a rope that is freely coiled inside a case. The rope must be coiled with great care so that it does not knot when the case is thrown out the window during an emergency.
The fire escape of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,843 patent is rather complicated. It includes a control rope that a person must operate to regulate the speed of the descent rope that supports the person.
Thus, a need exists for an improved safety escape.